Dear Swistle,
I am an avid reader of your blog and have always fantasized about naming my children. The time is finally here, and I am due with my first in January! My name is Anne, DH is Dave, and our last name is Heal(e)d,pronounced as in what a doctor does to you. We have had our boy name picked out forever but are struggling with girl names. I have a list a mile long and DH doesn’t do much adding or subtracting to it. Some of my top girl names right now are :
Vivienne,
Charlotte,
Madeline,
Sophia,
Ariana,
Maeve, and
Margaret (I know Margaret is an outlier but it is after my mom — still trying to convince DH that Maggie Heal(e)d is an adorable name for a little girl!)
Middle name for girl will be a family name — Anne, Grace, Mary, or Rose.
However the problem now is that our boy name was #2 on nameberry’s most searched names of 2014 — Declan! Should I be worried? Is Declan about to become the next Aiden? Will my child be Declan H in class? Or am I overthinking this and we should just go with the name we loved first?
Middle name for boy will be Sullivan after DH’s middle. Other boy names we like include Nolan, Ronan, Benjamin, and Alexander.So in short — should I be worried about Declan? Also, help with a girl name would be so much appreciated!
Thank you,
Anne
When I received your letter, I assumed I wouldn’t be answering it: I can only guess at the future popularity of a name, and Declan doesn’t seem worrisome to me, so it wouldn’t have been much of a post: “No, I don’t think it’s a problem, but of course I can’t know for sure. Love, Swistle”
However, in the last week and a half I’ve received TWO MORE letters worrying about the future popularity of the name Declan, so all right, let’s discuss it—with the caveat that I didn’t know AIDEN was going to be the next Aiden.
Here is the thing with a “most searched” list: it definitely tells us which names are generating a lot of INTEREST, but that doesn’t mean parents are going to USE them. I look up a lot of names just out of curiosity (“I wonder how popular this name is?,” “I wonder why I’m suddenly hearing this name everywhere?”), and I’ll bet a lot of other people do too.
I remember awhile back when it seemed like EVERYONE was talking about and asking about the name Juniper. I thought to myself, “Wow, there is a LOT of interest in this name! And it sounds a little like Jennifer, which was so popular! I’ll bet it’s going to go RACING up the charts!”
(screen shot from SSA.gov)
And I mean, if parents wanted to use it because it was absolutely unique and they’d never heard it before, I WOULD still point out that increased interest in the name seems to have resulted in increased usage. But we’re not talking about an overnight sensation with several Junipers per classroom: we’re talking about a formerly almost-totally-unused name that is now being used a little bit. There was a LOT of interest in it when people first started hearing it, but that didn’t lead to a LOT of people using it—just a FEW.
The name Declan is getting some attention lately, and I would not be surprised if that led to increased usage. One of the major reasons it kept getting crossed off my own baby name list was the difficulty of pronunciation, so the increased familiarity of the name would be a huge plus for me. But if you’re looking for something highly unusual, it’s true that ship has sailed:
(screen shot from SSA.gov)
That’s a nice respectable rise to fashion: 16 years from the first year it hit the Top 1000 until now, and it STILL isn’t in the Top 100. But I’d expect to see it there, maybe as early as the 2014 chart. Again, for me this would be GOOD news: I like to use names that people recognize and can pronounce, not names that result in startled or confused expressions. But if your tastes run more towards startled/confused, I don’t think Declan is the way to go.
But looking at your lists, I don’t think your tastes DO run toward startled/confused. Sophia is the #1 most popular name for baby girls right now, and Charlotte is #11. Madeline is one of those stealth names that’s challenging to even compute the popularity for, because of the many, many ways to spell it—but it’s up there. Vivienne/Vivian is similar to Declan, I’d say: TONS of attention that resulted in a nice rise to familiarity and ease of use without becoming the next Isabella.
Or perhaps Charlotte will turn out to have been a better comparison with Declan: lots of attention that looks like it will indeed result in a top-ten name. It’s very hard to know whether a name will come into fashion in the “nicely into the Top 100 but not so popular people get tired of it” way, or whether it will head right for the Top 10. I FEEL as if Declan won’t make it to #1, but I felt the same about Noah and look where we are with that.
One thing to ask yourselves is how terrible would it be if a child DID some years have to use a surname initial. I do think that would be tiresome if it were Every Single Classroom All Through School, but that doesn’t happen so much anymore: even Noah and Sophia are given to only about 1% of new babies, which gives us a national average of one Noah or one Sophia per 6 or 7 classrooms (assuming about 30 kids per classroom, about half girls and half boys). Some years a Noah or Sophia WOULD probably have to go by Noah H. or Sophia H., or perhaps they could go by their first and middle if they liked that better. But is that fate so terrible that we must avoid it at all costs, or is that the kind of thing most people can handle without undue distress? I had another Kristen in my classroom one year, and one of us just went by a nickname that year. I can see how someone whose name was used 8 times as often (that’s the approximate difference between the popularity of the name Kristen/Kristin and the popularity of the name Jennifer) would have a lingering fear of classroom duplication, but names aren’t used with that frequency now. At its peak, Jennifer was used for over 4% of baby girls—FOUR TIMES the current usage of today’s top names.
Another issue is that even Aiden was not the next Aiden: one reason its popularity feels so out of hand is that it belonged to a group of names that included Caden, Hayden, Jayden, Braden, etc. That GROUP got so popular, it caught the interest even of people who aren’t interested in names. Declan doesn’t belong to any such group: even if it reached #1, it wouldn’t FEEL as popular as Aiden did at its peak of #9.
And what if it didn’t even get there? Imagine if it rose to a very respectable “not too common and yet not too out-there” ranking of somewhere in the mid Top 100 and then STAYED there? It would be very sad to have given up your favorite name out of fear of future popularity and then have it end up right where you would have liked it.
In short, I think the name Declan is experiencing a coming-into-fashion that to me makes the name more useable rather than less. I don’t think it will be the next Aiden, but if it WERE to be the next Aiden I still don’t think it would be the next Aiden. I’d vote for going ahead and using your favorite.
Turning our attention to the girl-name list, my own clear favorite is Margaret. I’ve known one little girl named Margaret and she greatly increased my already considerable appreciation for the name. And I love family names.
Based on your preferences, I’d probably steer you away from Charlotte: I think of that as another name of the sort that rose unexpectedly fast and got a lot of attention for getting a lot of attention. And Sophia and Madeline are also very popular, if popularity bothers you—but when I see Alexander and Benjamin on your boy-name list, I suspect what actually bothers you is a sudden spike in popularity right at the time you use the name, rather then popularity itself.
My main issue with Madeline is that there are two ways to pronounce it and a dozen ways to spell it. We briefly had a cat named Madeline and even with a CAT I found the hassle more than I wanted to deal with.
For the middle name, I love Anne if it works with your first-name choice: a family name, and especially appropriate if a boy’s middle name would honor your husband.
Name update!
Hi Swistle!
Thanks for your help with choosing
a name for baby He@ld. I was convinced we were having a boy, and his name would have been Declan, but our baby GIRL finally arrived 8 days late on January 13. We named her Vivian Margaret, and the name fits her perfectly!
Thank you!
Anne
Once again, Swistle nailed it. I too would recommend that you use Declan. As for the comparison with Aidan/Aiden, my daughter has a 13-year-old Aidan and even though the name became the #1 boys name when all spellings are combined soon after our Aidan was born, my daughter wouldn’t change his name. She loves it, and it suits her son and her family (similar to his Dad’s name and yet not that similar). Another family member is due with a boy, their first child, in September and her husband loves Aidan and she does too (no matter it’s popularity), but I doubt that they’ll use it since we already have an Aidan in the family. (I suggested Declan, but their Irish surname begins with a D and they don’t want the first name to start with a D also. By the way, they were totally unfamiliar with Declan.)
As for Margaret, it seems PERFECT and not an “outlier” on your list at all. (If I were to pick one outlier, I’d say Maeve.) Maggie is darling, and Margaret Anne is lovely and so meaningful for your family.
Best wishes!
I was so excited to see this blog post in my email this morning. I am 38 weeks pregnant and am expecting my own Declan any day now. I have had the same concern since the Nameberry list came out – which is kind of ironic because when my husband said he REALLY wanted to name our child Declan if he was a boy my first concern was dealing with pronunciation since most people had never heard of it. This calms me. We are choosing this name because my husband loves it and that will not change just because we meet a few more in the world.
Oh, and my Declan will be joining two sisters, Claire and Fiona, and an older brother, Chandler. If he had been a girl he would have been Rosalie. :)
Just had to jump in and say I LOVE your kids names!
Thank you Helena!
The other thing to remember is that you never know where you will find pockets of a certain name. I am a teacher and there are about 50 boys in my grade level. Last year we had four boys named Tyler. Four out of fifty! We also had two boys and a girl named Reese! Granted, Tyler was the number 10 name for my state the year they were born, but Ethan was number one that year and there was only one in our grade. And I am sure the parents of the Reese’s were surprised. For what it’s worth, I love the name Declan and it has not worked its way to elementary school yet.
I used to live in an area where the grade one class had multiple boys named Siggy and only only Noah. I think you just have to pick a name you like and if everyone else picks the same name… well, it just shows they have good taste too. Declan is an awesome name and I think it sounds perfect for your (potential) baby boy.
Also, Margaret Anne is a great name. You could call her Maggie Anne- swoon!
Ok, now I’m intrigued! Why Siggy? Is it short for something? Is this a name/nn that’s popular outside of the US?
I too love the name Declan, we almost used it for boy #1 but our love for the Scottish cousin, Lachlan, won out. Declan is still the only other boy name I like but if we were to have another boy, I’m concerned that Lachlan and Declan are too similar sounding. We would go with ‘Dex’ as a nickname, it is a family name. I think it’s a bit too unique to get to ‘Aiden’ status but who knows.
I have a 2-year-old Declan and am one of those who is glad it is becoming more well-known. My experience has been that people haven’t heard it before and don’t know how to pronounce it. We get lots of positive feedback on the name, though!
Love love the name Declan, and I don’t think it will ever become as popular as the Aiden/Hayden/Jayden.
and I really think the name Vivienne Margaret goes really well with your last name… I like it a lot.
It sounds as if it’s the name you really love and want to use so I wouldn’t let its rise in popularity spook you. As Swistle pointed out, a lot of the names on your girl list (great list btw) are popular right now, too.
Swistle, you hit the nail on the head about the “spike” in popularity being what is concerning me! I didn’t even realize it until you mentioned it. You’ve definitely put me at ease, and if it is a boy, he will be Declan. Thanks for all the votes for Margaret — I will keep working on DH!
Okay I don’t want to come across stupid, but is it pronounced deck-lin? I see the comments about the name being mispronounced and I can’t imagine it being pronounced any other way!
that’s how ive always said it. although, i know a “deaglan” (the gaelic spelling, same pronunciation), and i’m sure that’s a bit more tricky :) he’s probably happy the declans are on the rise, too! then again, that might make his name more frequently misspelled …
I think the issue is that people see it as “de-clan” (like the act of taking someone out of a clan? It’s not a word, but it’s similar to other de- words like “declaw” or whatever).
I say it more like “Deck-lan” or “Deck-lun”. That’s how I always heard it growing up in the UK, where it is a familiar name thanks to the TV personalities Ant & Dec: http://www.officialantanddec.com/home
It reminds me of the name Nolan, which I used to hear a lot locally on preschoolers. I haven’t heard Declan at all on kids around here. Closest I’ve heard is Dexter.
I think you should go with the name you love. Class lists popularity are impossible to predict. One of the very few names that duplicated in my son’s Kindergarten last year was Howard. Never would have guessed that one. My daughter had two Jacquelines in her class. Other names also clump together in sound – when there is Alec, Alan and Alex in the same class. And I kept confusing Camden & Cayden.
Swistle is spot on with this one. Declan should be fine to use. Even if it makes it to #9 like Aiden did, it still won’t have all the sound alikes. Something tells me Heclan and Jeclan just aren’t going to have the same appeal as Hayden and Jaden.
From your girl names, I do really like Margaret. It was on my list with the 2nd, but I had a boy. If your husband isn’t sold on Margaret/Maggie, maybe he’d like Margo better? It would still be a nod to your mother’s name, but perhaps would feel a bit younger for your husband. (My DH’s problem with the name was that it sounded “old lady.” So I’m working on the assumption your husband has similar issues).
I also really like Maeve. It’s very pretty and I think it hits the sweet spot Swistle was talking about. Familiar enough, but not too common.
I agree with everything Swistle says, and think you and Declan himself will be very happy with his name. I consider it a plus to have a name that is reasonably popular and familiar, and I think Declan could rise quite a bit higher in the charts without it being anything but an additional plus. I also think it’s a strong, masculine name with a pleasing sound. I think you picked a winner.
I love that you said “I consider it a plus to have a name that is reasonably popular and familiar.”
I’ve only heard Declan a few times around my neck of the woods, and I have two boys under four.
My two cents? When I was pregnant with my first boy, we had two names picked out. One in top 50. One in top 75. Even then, I worried they were “too popular.” We went with the one in the top 75. I haven’t heard the name among anyone his age as of yet. Some a few years older and one or two a year or so younger. Our second, we named a much less popular name. Top 700. And suddenly, I’ve heard the name mentioned several times on this very blog. Not anywhere else, though.
So, I would say go for it. Or “save” it for a future boy. Or maybe you’ll have a girl and be able to see what does happen with its popularity. Our girl name for my oldest was Evelyn. I felt like I (and only me!) was the one to brainstorm this fantastic old fashioned name. Um, not. Everyone else seemed to have the same idea. It has continued to be popular, but I feel like I may still want to use it should I have a girl next.
Best wishes!
I vote for Margaret, for ALL THE NICKNAMES!!! Maggie, Megan, Peggy, Daisy, Greta, Gretchen, Garet, Margie, May, Mar, Retta…
Also, some of my favorite authors are named Margaret.
Swistle nailed it with her analysis of Declan and popularity. I wouldn’t worry about it. It just doesn’t have the kind of flexibility and generalness of a name like Aidan/Aiden, which pole vaulted into the charts at the top of a wave of similar names (Jayden, Kayden, Zayden, Brayden, etc.) and variant spellings (Ayden, Aden, etc.) I don’t see Decklyn emerging, nor Heclan, Feclan, or Meclan. I also think Declan is still too Irish and specific for mass popularity. It’s not a crossover name like Aiden (it sounds like the Spanish form of Adam). (Of course, I could be eating my hat someday with this prediction…anything is possible.)
As far as your girl names go– nice list. But I’d suggest saying some of them out loud with your surname a few times to check flow. Each to their own, but I’m a little put off by the similar ending sounds of Charlotte and Margaret with H—-d. Especially Margaret H—-d sounds very repetitive to my ear. This might just be me, though!
Hmm, actually now I’m doing exactly what I suggested and realizing H—-d is actually a bit tricky in general. I think I like one syllable first names best with it, actually. Would you consider Grace or Rose? I like Maeve with it a lot. I also love someone else’s suggestion of Margo or Margot. I think the -o sound ending is really nice with it.
Maeve and Declan would be very compatible as eventual sibling names, too, without being too matchy-matchy.
My husband and I had a similar concern about Declan, which we both really liked. We decided it was a bit too common for our tastes. Instead, we named our son Devlin which sounds similar and also has Irish roots. We love it and it suits our son perfectly.
Our three year old is named (and goes by) Margaret. We get tons of compliments on her name – that it sounds fresh, even though it’s totally familiar. I say go for it if your baby is a girl! :-)
We just recently named our third son Declan, and I had many of your same concerns! I’m so glad we used it though – it had been one of my favorites for several years. We’ve gotten a lot of positive remarks about it, although most people are not familiar with the name. I think it’s gaining popularity but will by no means shoot up the chart to the top 20 anytime soon!
Charlotte and Madeleine were my two favorite girl names, but suddenly Charlotte is hugely popular where I live. I know three under two years old: Charlie, Lottie, and Charlotte. Madeleine I liked until I figured out that it’s way more popular than I realized once you add in all the other spellings.
We’ve picked one but since we have a bit of overlap in taste, this was our list: Mary, Rosemary, Ruby, Amelia, Louise, Vivian, Lucy, Molly, Georgia, Mae, Alice, Ann, Hazel, June, Mabel, Cora, Rosalie and Caroline.
I think Declan will be fine! And I like Margaret. It’s my mother’s name and I would use it (to get Maggie) but I am expecting my first child and I don’t want the other grandparents to expect name honors in any future children. Use it because I can’t! :-)
Love Declan! Personally I think it already is the next Aidan, but so what? It’s a great name! (After this, I call Eamonn as the next to rise :) )
I have a 14 month old Margaret who is mostly Maggie or Maggie Rose. I love her name and everyone else seems to as well! :)
Congratulations on baby Vivian! She is DARLING.
I am to get a grandson named Declan, and though I am an OB nurse, I have yet to hear that name used in these parts. On a recent trip to Ireland the tour director said, “Oh, that is Irish.”